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We started as many of the "Over-40"
teams started - over a few beers, some bragging, and
reminiscing. We were founded by Luis Llana and Ed
Palmer about five years ago as the "Sly-Dogs".
Practices were very impromptu - sometimes heading to the field
after some beers and just kicking around. Officially started
gathering a team at Kings Row field in Maitland. Once the
cigarettes were extinguished and the beers were put to rest, we
had some fairly decent "scrimmages", trying to determine
positions, team strengths and weaknesses. Needing more beer and
cigarettes before practice was half over pointed out our most
obvious weaknesses.
Injuries plagued our first season
(actually, our first practices were the cause of most of the
injuries) but many of the crew hung in there. With a little bit
of tape, some muscle relaxers, and a beer or two, we were good
to go. We soon discovered that our practices could be moved to
late afternoon and early evenings, and a beer or two afterwards
at the pub would help ease the evening's pains!
We battled through our first season
with minimal wins, a dozen yellow cards, a couple of red cards,
and bar tabs equal to most of our car payments! The celebratory
beverages after the game became one of the main reasons for
playing! We weren't usually celebrating wins, we were
celebrating surviving another 90 minutes.
A new name and a lot of new faces
started our second season. We were now the "WP Rounders"
named after Don Collier's team growing up, and more
Winter Park High School Alumni came out of the woodwork. We had
ex-soccer players, ex-runners, ex-smokers, ex-husbands and
ex-cons. The few ex-drinkers that came out either quit or
converted back- peer pressure! This team covered the
cross-section of over-forty America and all its diversity.
Many players of varied caliber have
came and left, but the core of this team; Don Collier, Eugene
Montague, Tom Tugend, Ed Palmer, Ed Miller, Lincoln Litzinger,
David Collier, Carl Crampton, Fred Mcever and John Falango;
is still hanging in there. The talent level rises and falls, but
as a team we all enjoy the game, relish in the camaraderie, and
even pick up the tab now and then. This team of rag-tag misfits
will probably outlive it's founders, but the spirit of the WP
Rounders will always flow! |
